Dog drip unit

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a pet dropping collection device comprising a body encircling friction locking clamp attachable and fixable to the rib-to-loin area of a dog, and having a pair of bushings horizontally mounted on the collar adapted to slidably mount a yoke which extends rearwardly parallel to the back of a dog. The collar has a centrally located journalled lock means to secure the collar about a dog. A yoke means is mounted on the clamp and includes a pair of substantially parallel arms which extend horizontally and rearwardly from the collar. The yoke includes a pair of descending arms which are attached to the parallel arms and are adapted to pass over and be supported by the rear flanks of a dog, and terminate in a perianal loop which joins the terminal ends of the descending arms below the tail of a dog. A receptacle is mounted within the loop and is secured thereto by retaining means. A flexible collection pouch having a mouth capable of being spread over the mouth of the receptable is removably received within the receptacle. The collection pouch is preferably disposable and includes closure means for closing the collection pouch prior to removal from the receptacle and disposal thereof.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. Ser. No.06/336,682, filed July 25, 1983.

BACKGROUND

Collection and disposal of pet droppings is a constant problem,especially in metropolitan areas. In crowded cities, playgrounds, parks,sidewalks, curbs and even suburban and rural areas, it is a continuingand frequently emotional area of conflict between pet owners, people whodo not own pets and are not sympathetic, and authorities. Many locallaws require the removal or collection of such material. This setsproperty owners, officials, pet owners and the general public againsteach other.

Not only is it a continuing problem for pet owners to clean up aftertheir pet while walking them, it is often inconvenient, impractical orimpossible for dog owners who do not have fenced in yards to routinelywalk their dogs, either because of inclement weather, poor health, etc.Thus, there is a need for a device which facilitates collection anddisposal of a pet's waste materials.

The prior art has suggested various devices designed to facilitatecollection and disposal of pet droppings. For example, U.S. Pat. No.3,875,903 teaches a device which uses a collar encircling a pet's neckattached to a back strap which has leg and body straps which fasten toan elaborate tail-encircling assembly having a disposable pouchprecisely retained by an annular open ring. This constitutes anelaborate, expensive and precision-requiring assembly that would be morepractical if worn by a dog the majority of the time in view of themultiple fitments, adjustments, straps and buckles.

As the prior art has failed to provide a satisfactory solution to thisproblem, there has been a continuing need for a simpler, cheaper andmore reliable device. The present invention provides one such solution.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention provides a pet dropping collection devicecomprising a body encircling friction locking clamp attachable andfixable to the rib-to-loin area of a dog, and having a pair of bushingshorizontally mounted on the clamp adapted to slideably mount a yokewhich extends rearwardly parallel to the back of a dog. The clamp has acentrally located journalled lock means to secure the clamp about a dog.A yoke means is mounted on the clamp and includes a pair ofsubstantially parallel arms which extend horizontally and rearwardlytherefrom. The yoke includes a pair of descending arms which areattached to the parallel arms and are adapted to pass over and besupported by the rear flanks of a dog, and terminate in a perianal loopwhich joins the terminal ends of the descending arms below the tail fo adog. A receptacle is mounted within the loop and is secured thereto byretaining means. A flexible collection pouch having a mouth capable ofbeing spread over the mouth of the receptable is removably receivedwithin the receptacle. The collection pouch is preferably disposable andincludes closure means for closing the collection pouch prior to removalfrom the receptacle and disposal thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be more fully understood by reference to thedrawings, taken in conjunction with the detailed description, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of this invention in place ona dog;

FIG. 2 is an elevational partial side view of the perianal portion ofthe yoke assembly with the collection pouch in open position.

FIG. 3 is an elevational partial side view of the yoke corresponding toFIG. 2 but having the pouch in a closed position for removal anddisposal;

FIG. 4 is a perspective, enlarged and exploded view of the entireassembly; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational end view of the clamp showing detail of theclamp and lock construction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With detailed reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts in perpectivethe pet droppings collection device 10 worn by a dog 11. Areas of dog 11which will be referred to later are withers 12 at the front and brisket15 located in the forequarters. Dog loin 13 lies behind rib cage 9 incentral body portions while rump 14, hock 16 and rear flanks 47 are onthe back portions of the pet body.

Overall device 10 generally comprises body clamp 17 which preferablypartially encircles the girth of the pet, preferably behind the rib cage9 and over or in front of the loin section 13; yoke 18 fastened to clamp17 and passing horizontally to the back of the dog, turning downwardlyby having descending arms 27 passing over the rear flanks 47 whileslightly converging and terminating in a substantially horizontalcollection assembly 19 which is suspended in a plane below the perianalarea and above the hock level.

In FIG. 2, an enlarged elevational view of the collection portions ofthe device and the rear portion of the yoke 18 of FIG. 1 is depicted.Yoke loin bar 28 is one of the substantially parallel and horizontallyplaced first pair of arms supported along the dog's back in operation.At loin elbow 29, the yoke turns downwardly as second pair or descendingarms 27 converging slightly on either exterior side of the dog's rearflanks to hoop elbow 31 at which point horizontal perianal loop 25 formsthe terminus of the yoke. Removably or permanently fastened withinarcuate hoop 25 is retaining cup 20 which is preferably rigid. While cup20 can be friction-fit suspended or fixed by soldering or glueing, it ispreferably snapped or otherwise affixed by mating with hoop 24 shown asan indented band 24 in FIGS. 2,3 and 4. However, the circumferentialsupport means may be also be formed by use of a raised bead or ridge orinterrupted embossed or debossed nubs and the like. If thin gaugeplastic is used to fabricate the cup, it is often desirable to provideraised ledges or rings for increased strength.

Flexible pouch 21 lines cup 20 with pouch throat 32 stretched around thecup mouth and placed taut thereon by constricting pouch mouth 23 bydrawstring 22. Cup floor 26 is preferably closed and and continuous butit may consist of a retaining lip of sufficient width to support pouch21 in use but narrow enough to form an open bottom to aid in cleaningthe cap and reduce its weight without sacrificing structural strength.

FIG. 3 is a companion view of FIG. 2 depicting the pouch in closedposition for removal and disposal. In this phase, pouch mouth 23 andthroat 32 are lifted from the cup finish 30 by pulling up on drawstring22 and constricting the mouth closure.

In FIG. 4, the cup and pouch are shown in exploded form and the entiredevice is shown in perspective. Clamp 17 is attached to yoke 18 by yokebushings 35 which are oriented substantially parallel to each other. Theyoke is anchored by keepers 37 at the end of each loin yoke bar 28. FIG.4 shows the loin bars 28 locked in ferrules or bushings 35. To addgreater adjustability to the arms telescoping rods may be used or therods can be made slideable by removel of the keepers. These areexpedients that will become clear to those skilled in the fabricationfield. Bushings 35 end in chamfered sections 36 which ensure greatercomfort to the pet and less risk of injury to those fitting or removingthe clamp.

Continuing in FIG. 4 clamp 17 is formed by two opposing arcuate shoes 41which are backed by resilient liner 42 having beveled margin 46 at itslower edges which contact the pet abdomen in use. Shoes 41 are joined byclamp lock 38 attached thereon by mounting ridges 40 at each edge of theshoe. Inward constricting tension is provided by torsional helix spring39.

Yoke 18 is best shown in FIG. 4 with loin bars 28 fixed or slideablymounted in bushings 35 in parallel and horizontal alignment, thedropping and converging at loin elbow 29, through descending arms 27 tohoop elbows 31 and ending in arcuate or angled hoop 25 adopted andsloped to match with, hold in an overall vertical position and removablysecure cup 20. The cup preferably has smooth edged finish 30 andrelatively smooth moisture impervious interior wall 33.

As best shown in FIG. 5, clamp shoes 41a and 41b carry yoke bushings inmirror alignment. The interior of the shoes preferably carry resilientlayer 42 of padding over their interior to contact the pet when inplace. At the junction of the shoes, hinge sleeve 43 is attached to oneshoe by mounting ridge 40a on the upper margin of one shoe while bolt 44is inserted through sleeve 43 and is fixed to the second shoe bymounting ridge 40b. Helix torsion spring 39 surrounds the bolt andsleeve completed hinge assembly and the spring ends each bear on one ofthe shoes to urge the clamp inwardly. Liner notch 45 is provided in theclamp center to prevent contact of the liner segments before the clampis almost completely closed thus eliminating bunching of the liner andpremature diminution of the spring force.

Among the variables that can be employed in fabricating the device ofthis invention is the configuration of the perianal yoke hoop 25. Whilethe shape of the cup and the hoop in FIG. 4 is depicted as annular, itis often desirable to provide a cup having at least one flat segmentwhich rests against the pet's rearquarters. Thus a cross-sectionalhemisphere shape is a desirable form. A square or rectangularcross-section cup is also highly desirable. The flat segment of the sideof the cup that conforms to and contact the animal's body ensures thatthe hoop supporting it and the receptacle are snugged into the animal'sbody and not unduly extended outwardly to the rear. The retaining ridgeor snap groove of the cup and the configuration of the hoop can beeasily modified to accommodate the cup of choice. If a rectangular cupis desired, the hoop is then ordinarily bent to a U-shaped outline.

The yoke frame can be readily fabricated from stainless steel wire orrod stock. Ordinarily a thin width is best to conserve weight and cost.A wire diameter of 3/64 inch is suitable for a medium size dog yoke.Using that diameter, the bushings 35 are conveniently formed fromstainless steel pipe having an outside diameter of 5/16 inch and insidediameter of 1/8 inch.

The clamp is also preferably formed of stainless steet strip about 1inch wide and 1/8 inch thick for a medium sized dog. Length is dependenton the pet size, but arcuate shoes of 5 to 8 inches is adequate for mostsizes of dogs. It is important for utility considerations and animalconfort to provide a slip-resistant material and resilient or paddedclamp interior. Rubber-like surfaces and compressible material such asweatherstripping of suitable width is an example of usable liningmaterial. A smooth metallic clamp interior is unsuitable as it tends toslip over the animal's hair unless undue spring pressure is brought tobear on the animal.

Custom adjustment of the size of the device to suitably fit a pet ispreferred. However, by supplying telescoping rod arms in the yoke andadding extendible members to the shoes, the device may be adequatelyadjusted to fit all sizes of common companion animals including dogs.The clamp bushings can be easily fabricated to slidably house theparallel arms and provide rapid adjustability.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that numerousvariations and modifications may be effected without departing from thespirit and true scope of the invention. It is intended to embrace bythis invention all variations and modifications that fall within thescope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A pet droppings collection devicecomprising:a friction clamp adapted to encircle a portion of the girthof a pet along the rib-to-loin area, and having a pair of bushingshorizontally mounted on the clamp adapted to slide mounting of a yoke,and having a centrally located hinge lock to secure the clamp about thepet; a yoke mounted on the clamp and having a pair of substantiallyparallel arms extending horizontally and rearwardly from the clamp, saidyoke having a pair of descending arms attached to said parallel armsadapted to pass over and be supported by the rear flanks of a pet, andterminating in a perianal loop joining said descending arms below thetype of a dog; a rigid receptacle mounted within the loop having acircumferential mating member with said loop to removably hold thereceptacle therewithin; a flexible collection pouch with draw stringmouth positioned within the receptacle and having a mouth capable ofbeing spread open over the receptacle finish in the receiving positionand being closable by said draw string for removal and disposal.
 2. Thecollection device of claim 1 wherein said clamp encircles a majorportion of the girth of said pet.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein theclamp is comprised of a pair of arcuate rigid shoes adapted to encirclea major portion of the circumference of the loin of a dog, said shoeshaving interior slip-resistant resilient lining positioned to contactthe body of the dog in place.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the yokeis formed by a continuous piece of rigid rod stock having equal paralleland horizontal end portions, equal length converging descending armsections and having a center horizontal loop conforming in shape to thecross-section of the receptacle.
 5. A pet droppings collection devicecomprising:a friction clamp adapted to encircle a major portion of thegirth of a dog over the rib-loin circumference, the clamp being formedby the joinder of a pair of arcuate rigid shoes of substantially equallength hinged by helix spring means urging together the opposing ends ofthe shoes; a pair of parallel and generally horizontally disposedferrules affixed in mirror alignment to the clamp; resilient andslip-resistant padding means attached to the interior surface of saidclamp and having a void formed under the spring means to thereby avoidpadding contact on each shoe when the clamp is fully compressed; a yokeformed by a continuous rod member having two ends, each of said endsbeing fixedly set within a ferrule, a first arm pair extending inparallel relation and rewardly along a dog's back when worn in place, apair of second arms attached to said first arms descending andconverging being supported by the dog's rear flanks and terminating in asymmetrical loop; a receptacle vertically disposed within and supportedby said loop in perianal alignment to the dog at a height above the doghocks and below the tail, said receptacle having a vertical sectorconforming to and contacting the dog's body, and circumferential supportmeans on said receptacle mating with said loop to removable hold thereceptacle in place; a flexible receiving pouch having a mouth adaptedto be spread over the open top of the receptacle and positioned withinsaid receptacle to form a removal liner therefor, a drawstring closuremeans cooperating with said mouth adapted to close and facilitateremoval of the pouch from said receptacle.